Nautilus
by Green Aquarium
Summary: A field trip exploring the depths of the Pacific gives Dorothy Ann some time to reflect upon life.


Among the sandy floor of the Marianas Trench crept along flatfish and echinoderms eating whatever meager pieces of marine snow fell slowly downward from the pelagic. Continuing their daily pursuit for food, they were interrupted by the unbearably bright lights of a large submersible, the powerful head beams casting long shadows of their aquatic forms. The animals were momentarily startled by this big yellow object that seemed alive, yet at the same time mechanical. It passed above them gradually, its blinding white glow disappearing as it left them behind in their cold, black, watery world. It had appeared so suddenly, then left so unceremoniously, that it was as if it had never even existed.

"Next time can we enjoy a normal field trip on dry land?" asked Arnold.

"Well, Ralphie did want to look for the lost city of Atlantis," Phoebe replied.

"Which, may I remind everybody," said the ever rational Keesha proudly, "does not, in fact, exist."

"Keesha, we barely even searched any of the seafloor at all! It could still be out here!" Ralphie spat back.

Dorothy Ann ignored the heated bickering of her two peers sitting in the row front of her as she continued to peer out the thick glassy window. This wasn't quite what her cherished books said it would be like. It was so much more real than just reading pages of romantically elaborate and richly detailed scientific text. Those authors had never sunk to the very depths of the ocean itself, never seen what she and her friends had witnessed today. They knew what it was like from their complex research, their collected data and careful experiments. But they had not experienced what it was like to swim through the eerie and ancient trench walls themselves.

As they moved onward, D.A. spied strange species of invertebrates, bizarre crabs and sea stars that she didn't recognize from her tomes. Perhaps these were new to science and a childlike excitement overcame her was she watched them glee and a toothy smile. If only she'd brought her camera. D.A. doubted that very many girls were passionate about science like her, would ever want to spend their time reading about sea cucumbers or giant squid rather than play with dolls or video games. She was atypical, but at least she fit in with this class were everybody was, in their own way, odd.

As the young blonde stared out the porthole, she could practically taste the salty water and feel the cool wetness on her face. Maybe that was merely her imagination, or perhaps it was simply more some of the weird magic they found themselves somehow encountering on every field trip. Ever bookish, she drew parallels to their current situation and one of her favorite novels: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The school bus was exactly like Verne's super-submarine brought to life. Yet, what was the Nautilus without a Captain Nemo to command it?

Dorothy Ann turned to look at her ever jolly teacher and bus driver. It was an unlikely likeness, but it somehow worked, though maybe just because she was dressed today like an old-fashioned mariner. Like the book's anti-hero, Ms. Frizzle was a brilliant and mysterious mind who seemingly hid far away from the rest of the world inside a fantastical machine that was kept secret from almost everybody. D.A. had never thought about the Frizz as a person with a life before, but she supposed there was an air of loneliness to her profession. Perhaps these field trips were to her, just like with her students, the highlight of the week, having no other means to share these journeys with anybody else? Maybe, as with Captain Nemo, she was really a figure haunted by longings and regrets?

But D.A. wouldn't dwell on these thoughts for too long, at least for now. There was incredible wonder right in front of her, the enchanting and silent oceanic darkness. It was comfy to wordlessly watch the beautiful inky benthic zone lazily move past her. A part of her never wanted to leave, wanted to selfishly remain here and explore the mammoth abyss with her entire class for all time.

But soon the bus started to ascend slowly out from the briny chasm. Dorothy Ann knew that the sluggish speed was intentional, to prevent them from getting the bends, and she was rather grateful that they were taking their time to exit. It gave her a chance to relish in enjoying the final glimpse of this awesome realm. Rising, she spotted the unmistakable bioluminescent glows of anglerfish and octopi swim past the circular window. The water soon became bluer, and before Keesha and Ralphie could get bored of arguing with each other over sunken ruins, they were back at the sunny warm surface.

"Well class, that was the Marianas Trench. The wonders of the deep really are something to leave you breathless."

"That was out of this world!" Carlos enthusiastically exclaimed.

"Shhh! Don't give her any ideas!" said Arnold annoyed.

With the press of a lime-green button, the bus transformed into a pelican and flapped its feathered wings as they returned to the classroom. Flying through the air, D.A. looked back down below and sighed wistfully. Oh yes, she knew that would be other field trips as the weeks went by. But with the passage of those weeks they inched closer to graduation, walked nearer to an end of the magic.

She knew, correctly, that she would never get to see the Marianas Trench again.


End file.
